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RAILROAD JACK.

(Application filed May'll, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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STATES ATE-T l l l CE JOSEPH W. SPENCER, OF EUFAULA, ALABAMA, AND EDYVARD R. LAYFIELlD, OF MACON, GEORGIA.

RAILROAD-JACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,557, dated April 4, 1899.

Application filed May 11, 1898. $erial No. 680,415. (N0 modeh) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH W. SPENCER, of Eufaula, in the county of Barbour and State of Alabama, and EDWARD R. LAYFIELD, of Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, citizens of the United States, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to various newand useful improvements in railroad-jacks; and the object of our invention is to provide a simple and effective jack by means of which the wheel of the journal-box which is being jacked up will be prevented from following the brass bushing by reason of the weight of the car thrown on the journal-box at the other side. While we are aware that prior to our invention jacks have been suggested by which this result will be accomplished, none of the prior jacks for this purpose have possessed the required simplicity and effectiveness for practical use.

In order that our invention maybe better understood, attention is directed to the ac companying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved jack; and Fig. 2, a side elevation, partly in section, showing the same in operation.

In both of the above Views corresponding parts are represented by the same letters of reference.

Arepresents the body of a well-known type of jack, having an enlarged circular foot A, by which it will be sustained on the cross-tie or other foundation. Working in the body A is a heavy screw A having a swivel-head A which engages beneath the journal-box. By rotating the screw A in the usual way the head A will be elevated, as will be understood.

Instead of applying our invention to a screw-jack of the type shown it may be applied to other forms of jacks, either mechanical or hydraulic.

The bodyA is turned perfectly cylindrical, and fitting loosely on said body, so as to be movable vertically thereon, is a rectangular block B, made of steel and of the proper dimensions for the purpose. The block B is provided at its sides with recesses B, in which slides a horizontally-adjustable frame 0, having a lug or projection C at its forward end, which engages the lip D on the outside of the car-wheel to hold the wheel against upward movement. Connecting the frame 0 at its rear end is a bar E, which serves as the handle for carrying the jack and for effecting adjustment of the frame.

In operation it will be observed from reference to Fig. 2 that when the jack has been placed beneath the j0urnal-box the block 13 will move by its weight downward to wedge lightly on the body A, and the frame 0 will be moved inward by hand, so as to engage the projection C with the rinlD of the wheel. Upon rotating the screw A the journal-box will be elevated, as is now common. If the weight of the car on the journal-box on the other side tends to elevate the wheel, the projection G in moving very slightly Will tightly jam the block B upon the body A, and further movement of the wheel will be prevent-- ed, so that there will be no danger whatever of the brass bushing being caught by the end of the axle, as is now likely to occur in jacks at present in use.

By providing a vertical adjustment of the block B relatively to the body A of the jack and a horizontal adjustment of the frame G relatively to the block the projection (3 may be engaged with the wheel of any car, irrespective of the height of the rail or the thickness of the lip of the wheel. This capacity of immediate and, in a sense, automatic ad j ustment, coupled with its extreme simplicity, enables us to produce a very effective jack for the special purpose.

Having now described our invention, What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

An improved railroad-jack for the purpose mentioned, comprising the body A, means cooperating with said body for elevating the work, a block movable laterally on said body and having horizontal grooves in its sides, a frame comprising two parallel members laterally adjustable in said grooveswith respect to said block, a projection carried by said frame, whereby when an npward strain is exerted on said projection the block will be wedged upon the body, and a handle connecting the horizontal members of said frame, as and for the purposes set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24th day of March, 1898.

JOSEPH WV. SPENCER. EDWARD R. LAYFIELD. Witnesses:

S. H. DENT, Jr., M. T. ROBERTS. 

